Automatic top



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS TOWNSEND, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 268,318, dated November 28, 1882. Application filed October 25, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State oflndiana, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Top, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of toy spinningtops which are secured to handles and operated by pulling strings, and it has for its object to furnish means whereby not only one but several tops may be kept continuously spinning in one direction; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts forming an automatic top, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, part in elevation; and Fig. 2 is a plan view, showing my inven ion. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

A represents the body of the device, which may be given any ornamental exterior, provided with a handle, B. Both the body and handle are made hollow to hold the drivingmechanism.

0 represents the principal top, consisting of a solid metallic wheel mounted upon a vertical spindle, c, which spindle has its lower bearving, a, in the body A and its upper bearing 1n a cross-bar, b, which crosses the openingiu the body, and is secured at its two ends to the body. (I is a ratchet-wheel secured upon the spindle c. v v

e is a sleeve turning freely upon the spindle c, havingv a -flange,f, on which is pivoted a pawl or ratchet, g, pressed by a spring, h, to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 01 when revolved in one direction, but free to drag over said teeth when revolved in the other direction.

Upon the sleeve 6 is wound one turn of a cord or strap, 2', which extends one end out through the handle. To this end a piece of'elastic rubber or other spring is attached,

connecting the cord with a button, It. The

other end, i, of the cord 0' passes out through the front end of the box, to serve as a handle. In operation the cord 73 is pulled outward quickly, causing the sleeve 0 to revolve, carrying with it the top 0, by means ofthe ratchet g and wheel 01, stretching spring I inward toward the spindle. As soon as tensiouupon the cord is relieved the spring 1 draws it back intothe handle, revolving the sleeve 6 backward; but as the pawl g drags freely over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel d, the spindle c and the top 0, secured thereon, continue to revolve by the momentum of the first impulse, and by repeating this reciprocating motion of the cord the top will continue to spin indefinitely in one direction.

D represents an indefinite number of other tops or bobbins mounted to revolve freely on vertical spindles F, which are fixed on the body A. These spindles stand just outside the circumference of the main top 0, and the tops D are extended over and rest upon the rim of the main top, so that the revolving of the main top causes all the other tops D to revolve by frictional contact.

These tops may be given any desired form, or they may be substituted by images of men and other objects to please children.

Having described my invention, whatIclaim, and wish to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The hollow handle B and body A, and thecross-bar b, secured thereto, in combination with the top 0, having a ratchet-wheel, d, secured on its spindle c, which is journaled in the body A and cross-bar b, the flanged sleeve 0 upon the spindle c, carrying the pawl g and spring h to engage the wheel 0?, the cord '5 6, extending one end out through the box, and the spring l, secured at one of its ends to the other end of said cord, and secured to the handle to prevent its being pulled into the box, as described.

2. The combination, with the top 0, box A, having a handle, B, the cord i i, the spring I, the sleeve 0, provided with a flange, the pawl 9, spring h, and thematchet-wheel d, of the button 70, secured to the spring l, as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the body A, the handle B, the main top 0, journaled therein, and the driving mechanism described, of the spindles E, secured in said body, and the tops D, mounted thereon tangent to the main top, substantially as specified.

H. P. MGNAIR, CHAS. D. HIRST. 

